A Test of Strength Spectator Closed

He whistled a tune, spirits high as he walked to the quidditch stadium with a new Moontrimmer over his shoulder, ready for a morning of flying practice. However, lo and behold, the stadium was already taken over by a swarm of youngsters. What? How in the world did they get a hold of this place?

His eyes fell on a tall guy in the middle, handing out colored ribbons to assembled players (@Lucian Allum). He easily towered over Avery, who was small for his age. Was he an upperclassman from another school? "Hmmph, you guys got the pitch today?" he asked the dude off-handedly, just a little bummed that he couldn't practice here today. However, his curiosity reared its little head. "Well, you guys better put on a good show if you take up the space!" he shrugged, taking a seat on a nearby bench.

What was the budding talent like these days? Was there any hope for the future of quidditch? Eager to see whether the younger years could challenge the incumbents, his gaze shifted from one youngster to the next.

There was @Elisa Shakestra, who he immediately recognized. "Woohoo, go Shakestra!" he cheered from the stands, waving an arm so she could see his support. However, the game was not going her way, with three quaffle grabs snatched from her and no successful scoring. "Woooo....awww, man," his cheer began to fade, along with his spirits. "C'mon, girl, show them what the Slytherin quidditch team can do!" Maybe that's why she was a beater on the team, not a chaser... But he hoped that his support would rally her to do better.

He also noticed @Prat Pass, organizer of their Crea- game. "Prat, show 'em how it's done!" he hollered. Although he wasn't quite sure what Prat was doing. Was he on save or just chilling? Maybe seeking? If so, he didn't seem to find what he was searching for. "Okay, maybe don't do anything..." his voice trailed off. Man, whoever he was cheering for just didn't feel his energy today?

But, there was more action to be seen. A red-headed girl (@Camilla Carter) swept the quaffle three times and scored twice, lifting Avery's hopes of a competitive match to come. "Yeah, do it like a pro!" he shouted up to the sky as she rounded the Orange team's goalposts, clapping loudly as he cheered. "Wake up, Orange Keeper! Don't fall off your broom!" he hollered at the boy (@Mamori Anezaki) who seemed a little listless, like he didn't get enough sleep overnight. "Purple Keeper is keeping a tight watch on her posts!" he noted, nodding in satisfaction at @Maisie Gemmell's two successful blocks.

Of course, there was more to the action, which did not disappoint. @Aston Beckett, who Avery thought was at the Crea- game, knocked a bludger into a Purple girl (@Eugenia Karageorgiadi) with a crack of his bat. "Oof, that's gotta hurt," Avery winced, seeing it rocket into her frame. "You okay up there?" he asked, not sure if she would even hear him, wondering if this was her first time getting whomped. If so, it'd be tough, especially as the game was still young.

The Purple Beater (@Meyra Lancaster) had the right idea to land a hit, but couldn't find her slippery mark. "Not enough bloodlust!" Avery called it, tsk-ing as he shook his head. "Try again!"

One Orange girl (@Cass Ito as Acacia Murillo) saw enough red to find her mark, dealing a hefty shove to poor @Jess McLeod. It was nasty being on the other end of a foul, but as a spectator, it was gorgeous to watch. Avery felt his breath catch as he saw the Purple girl fall, but she was rescued from broken bones just in time by @Delaney Collins. "Now, that's some skill," Avery muttered to himself, knowing how to appreciate a good save as Slytherin's team savior.

Not much action seemed to come from an Orange girl (@Alliasta Holista), but it was a familiar feeling for Avery, who constantly found himself on save duty. "You're doing great!" he called up, giving her a thumbs up nevertheless. Savers were often the unsung heroes of a team, after all.

He saw a boy with peach orange hair (@Aodhan Shaw) sitting on the benches nearby, who was similarly calling for blood. That's the spirit! What was a game of quidditch if it didn't come with a bunch of violence and sound effects? Avery knew he slept best in the Hospital Wing, and everyone should have the glorious chance to experience it at Hogwarts.

Avery hardly even wondered how the players would fare with his heckling. The game was just too good.

Then, the game seemed to hit a very unfortunate lull. One of the Purple chasers did not seem to be feeling well at all. As exciting as the game was, Avery couldn't help but feel some concern for the girl, and was glad that the moderator very wisely chose to send her to the Hospital Wing. Certainly, a fast-paced game couldn't risk any delayed response from feeling unwell. Avery knew from experience -- a single bad day of little sleep the previous night had dire consequences in game and in practice alike.

Avery didn't expect the tall boy to call him over to join the game, but was glad, all the same. "Me?" Avery asked, pointing to himself while scanning the stands around him. Apparently, no one else was here, so the tall boy was definitely talking to him. "Oh hell yeah!" he called out, a familiar excitement coursing through his veins -- one that he felt only when playing quidditch. It was a rush of endorphins he could hardly find elsewhere. The small boy didn't even mind leaving his Moontrimmer on the bench, and quickly snatched up the school broom left behind by the girl going to the Hospital Wing.

Avis dashed up the stairs to find a seat in one of the spectator booths overlooking the Quidditch Stadium. She'd promised @Maisie Gemmell that she'd make it to the unofficial scrimmage but had unfortunately taken sleeping in on a Saturday much too literally and woke up about 20 minutes before the time she decided upon.

Finally collapsing in a seat to catch her breath, Avis looked up to survey the scene in front of her, hoping she hadn't missed too much, and noticed some familiar faces flitting throughout the Stadium. Of course, a few were too far away to see and Avis had neglected her binoculars unfortunately but she was able to make out the face of the second year Hufflepuff @Jess McLeod who'd helped her find History of Magic earlier in the year. A Silver Arrow, wow. The sleek broom handle had a shiny purple ribbon tied to the tip and Avis noted the two teams were divided by colors: orange and purple, judging by the ribbons. She wondered what team Maisie was on before finally spotting her best friend on another Silver Arrow with a purple ribbon tied to her broom. As she watched her from below, Maisie managed to make a narrow save in front of the goal posts, nudging the Quaffle out of the way and foiling a few orange team points. Avis let out a quick cheer. "Atta kid, Mace!" she called, knowing it was unlikely her friend would hear her.

She smiled to herself before noticing Jess suddenly take a dive off her broom after being aggressively blatched by a girl on the orange team she didn't recognize. Her smile melted into a worried expression before a purple teammate was able to catch the Hufflepuff with some quick thinking. Avis shook her head angrily. "Oi that's a bloody foul!" she shouted but sighed in relief as the mean-spirited girl who'd knocked Jess off took a quick penalty lap, only to wince as the purple team's seeker took a hit from a bludger across the pitch. This game was shaping up to be a rough one and Avis had only just arrived. Luckily, the team she was suddenly supporting was up 20 to 0. Hopefully, they could hold on to that lead.